1
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
every year, we make up a basket of food at Thanksgiving for a poor family in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
land that is too poor for farming
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in scarce
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
a poor crop because of the drought this year
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
a pretty poor musician, even for a garage band
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in terrible
of low quality
the poor workmanship of the goods from that store
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in pitiful
deserving of one's pity
aw, the poor kitten hurt its paw
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of poor
Many poorer countries spend less than 3% of their domestic budgets on health.
—
Bill Gates, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The league's punitive new CBA was designed to limit the richest teams from enjoying a significant cash flow advantage over its poorest clubs.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s a reason new highways and new industry go in poor, often Black and Hispanic neighborhoods: sections of cities with lower real estate values have less tax base to be destroyed.
—Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025
Those neighborhoods likely have less access to behavioral health resources, poorer air and water quality, and greater presence of heat islands – areas that experience higher temperatures than surrounding ones, often because of a lack of green or open space – the paper notes.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Bill Gates, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The league's punitive new CBA was designed to limit the richest teams from enjoying a significant cash flow advantage over its poorest clubs.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
There’s a reason new highways and new industry go in poor, often Black and Hispanic neighborhoods: sections of cities with lower real estate values have less tax base to be destroyed.
—Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025
Those neighborhoods likely have less access to behavioral health resources, poorer air and water quality, and greater presence of heat islands – areas that experience higher temperatures than surrounding ones, often because of a lack of green or open space – the paper notes.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poor
Adjective
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It was conducted in an impoverished country in Africa where the mortality rate for children under age 5 is about double the global average, according to data collected by UNICEF.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
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Along with housing, medical expenses are a top cost for impoverished people.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The lock screen on the Mac remains a desolate place, relative to the same area in both iOS and iPadOS—this is still a no-notifications, no-widgets zone that exists only to keep your Mac locked.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Sep. 2025
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While the rest of Burning Man celebrated, Kruglov lay prostrate on the ground at a faraway campsite in a comparatively desolate section of Black Rock City, his throat slashed, as a puddle of blood congealed around his lifeless body.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The position of elementary education among the least susceptible to poverty might be surprising, but elementary school teachers are scarce and in demand.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The number of investigations is scarce not because of a lack of potential violations.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Republicans view the proposal as unacceptable.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
18 Sep. 2025
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But with the massive sums of money businesses are putting into CX, a lack of improvement should be seen as unacceptable.—
Tomas Gorny,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Both films were saddled with terrible reviews and disappointing audience scores.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
21 Sep. 2025
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The thought of being separated from my third daughter, my work—too terrible for words.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The pitiful screaming of surviving family members can be heard.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The longtime actor and multi-faceted filmmaker crafts an unhinged, go-for-broke performance as a legendary quarterback putting his potential heir apparent (Tyriq Withers) through a psychologically torturous training camp.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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Reunion shows often have a vital, go-for-broke spirit, and this movie does too, in the sweetest possible way.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At the time, only a handful of the university’s buildings were completed and the barren campus lacked landscaping.—
Ron Hasse,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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One of vultures in a barren tree.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poor. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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